Dreams
by BelleBailey
Summary: Takes place after 'Sniper Zero'. What are the affects of almost getting shot at? Many nightmares of playing the event over again. Some CA.


**DREAMS**

Charlie has nightmares about the sniper attack in "Sniper Zero". Is Don going to be there for him? I don't own Numb3rs. Too bad, I love this show!

It was a week later, the sniper attacks were done. Don had no cases, and because it was spring break, Charlie had no classes. Don was at Charlie's house, because he was helping Alan fix up the house. It was 10:00 at night. Don and Alan were washing the dishes. Charlie was up in the solarium. He hadn't talked to Don since the sniper attack. Don thought it was something to do with him. The truth was that Charlie had been having nightmares about the sniper attacking him. Then he had wished he would have called Don instead.

Every night Charlie would wake up screaming in a cold sweat. Alan knew something was bothering Charlie, because he heard the screams. When Alan came into Charlie's room, after he heard the screams, Charlie would be asleep. Or at least that's what he thought. Don never spent the night, but for some reason, that he didn't know, his father asked him to stay that night. Alan thought maybe he had just been hearing things.

That night, it was 11:00, and everyone went to bed. Alan and Don had been sleeping peacefully all night, almost. At 1:00 Don and Alan were awaken by Charlie screaming. Don had rushed to Charlie's room. When he got there Charlie was 'asleep'. Instead of going back to his room, like Charlie wanted them to do. He shut the door, hoping Charlie thought he went back to bed, it worked, Charlie sat up. He didn't notice that Don was in the room. Don had asked Alan to stay outside the door and waited. Don wanted to talk to Charlie, alone. Charlie had his head in his hands, crying, Don walked to Charlie's bed, and put a hand on his shoulder. Charlie looked up at his brother.

"I'm sorry for waking you and dad up." 

"It's alright, buddy. Do you want to talk about the dreams?" 

"How do you know there are more then one?" 

"I'm your brother. Need I say more." 

Charlie let out a little laugh. Don smiled at his brother. He wanted Charlie to talk about the dreams, but he wasn't going to push him into it. Charlie looked back down at his bed, away from Don's point of view. So Don wouldn't see him crying, but Don knew he was.

He pulled his brother into a tight embrace and let Charlie cry on his chest. He kept rubbing his baby brother's back, saying soothing words to calm him down. After awhile Charlie had cried himself to sleep. Don laid his brother down, and pulled the covers on top of him.

The next morning Alan and Don where in the kitchen talking about what had happened last night. Alan was worried. Don figured he had to tell his father about the sniper attack, it didn't go well.

"You mean that crazy kid almost killed Charlie?" 

"I'm afraid so." 

"I told you that letting him go to the crime scene was dangerous." 

"I didn't even know he was there. David said he insisted on going. They fired the gun. I told Charlie to get down but he couldn't hear me. So David pushed him to the ground, he was fine after that."

Alan let out a sigh.

"You two love to give me gray hair." 

The rest of the day wasn't the same. No one saw the younger Eppes all day. So Don took food up to him, Charlie never opened the door for him. So he left the food on a table near the solarium. That night, Don stayed at the house again. He had gone back to his house for some clothes.

At 8:00 the next morning Don and Alan went to go check on Charlie, because they weren't awaken at night by his screams. When they looked into his room they saw that he hadn't spent the night in his room or the house. Don called Terry and David to help look.

"Any luck?" 

"Sorry Don. David and I checked all the hotels and inns.

Nothing." 

Don's cell phone rang. 

"Eppes?" 

"Don?" 

"Hey, Larry. How are you?" 

"I'm fine. I called because when I came into CalSci to get a

few papers, I noticed your brother asleep in his class

room." 

"Thanks, Larry. I'll be down there in a few minutes." 

"I'll stay here until then." 

"Thanks." 

Don turned to David, Terry, and Alan. 

"What did Larry want?"

"Charlie's at CalSci." 

"What's he doing there, Donnie?"

"I don't know. Look I'm going to go down there, get him, and bring him back here. You three stay here and wait."

On Don's way to CalSci he kept thinking why Charlie left. Don parked the car as close to the building as he could. He went to Charlie's class room. There he saw Larry sitting at the teacher's desk. Charlie was asleep on the floor.

"I didn't want to wake him, sorry." 

"No. It's alright, he needed the sleep. He's been having nightmares. You know from the sniper attack." 

"Yeah, he told me about that. Is he going to be okay?" 

"I hope, can't blame him though. He was almost shot." 

Don walked up to his baby brother, he was sleeping so peacefully. Don hated to wake him, Larry had already left

the room.

"Charlie? Wake up." 

"Donnie?" 

"Hey buddy. Is that floor more comfortable than your bed at home?" 

"Funny." 

"You want to tell me why your here and not at home?" 

Charlie didn't say anything, he just got up and walked

passed his brother. Outside Charlie was taking the chain off of his bike. 

"Why don't you put that in the car?" 

Still Charlie didn't respond, he got on his bike. Don took a hold of the handle bars.

"Let go!"

"Charlie what's wrong with you?" 

"You mean mentally?" 

"No, Charlie." 

Charlie was talking to Don with kind of a loud and angry

voice.

"Then what do you call those nightmares?" 

"Your just afraid." 

"A coward?" 

"No, Charlie look let's go back to the car and I'll take you

home." 

"Fine." 

Charlie and Don didn't talk on the way back to Charlie's house. Whenever they hit a red light, Don looked over to make sure his brother was alright. Charlie had his eyes closed. Don didn't know if he was asleep or just resting. When they got home, Don shook his brother gently.

"I'm up." 

"Thank god, I thought I would have to carry you inside."

Charlie laughed.

"Come on, let's go in. Looks like it's about to rain."

When they got inside, Alan hugged both of his sons.

"I'm glad your alright."

Everyone sat down to the breakfast Alan made. Charlie did his best to stay in the solarium and ignore Alan and Don. That night when everyone should be in bed, Alan and Don were awoken to the screams. The two men rushed to the younger Eppes' room, but instead of pretending he was asleep. Charlie was sitting up, crying in his hands. Don hurried to his side, when the sobbing subsided. Don tried to find out what happened last night.

"Hey, buddy." 

"Are you alright, Charlie," asked Alan. 

"I'm fine."

"Buddy, what happened last night? Why were you at CalSci?" 

"I didn't want to wake you two up with my screams. I'm

sorry." 

Don and Alan stood there in shock.

"We want to help you," said Alan. 

"Yeah, even through last night we did get some much needed sleep." 

Charlie and Alan stared at Don. He mouthed something like, 'sorry'. Alan turned back to Charlie.

"Did you have the nightmare last night?" 

"Yes." 

"Did you wish someone was there?" 

"Yeah."

"What was it about?" 

"The attack kept replaying in the back of my head, but it was different." 

"How?" asked Alan. 

"Something different happened." 

Charlie looked up at Don. Right away he knew what his brother was talking about, Don moved over to his brother.

"Charlie, I promise you, nothing is going to happen to you.

Dad and I are you going to make sure of that." 

"Treat me like a kid?" 

"No. We're not going to pamper you. And you'd do the same

for us." 

"Right. I love you Don, Dad." 

"We love you too," said Don.

The next day. Spring break was over. Charlie had to go back to work as did Don, but he still didn't have any cases.

"So, that means you have to help your dad." 

"It's getting boring, David." 

"I'm glad I have my own house." 

"How's Charlie?" 

"Still having nightmares. I wish I could make them stop." 

"Your his brother. It's natural for you to want to help

him." 

"I could have told you that, Terry." 

Terry, David, and Don turned to the voice. Charlie was standing in the door way. He was leaning against the frame.

By looking at him you couldn't tell he was a professor. He was dressed like a student, except for the dress jacket. He was wearing jeans, a plain green shirt, and tennis shoes. He had a big grin on his face that looked like it would never stop.

"Charlie what are you doing here?" 

"I have..."

He looked at his watch.

"...85 minutes of lunch. Any new cases?" 

"What's wrong? Can't you wait for us to tell you. Ya have to

come up here and find one with math?" 

"Funny, David."

David had a big grin, like he was proud of what he just said. Don and Terry laughed. Charlie had brought enough food for them all to eat.

"I'd better be getting back. I have four more classes."

On Charlie's way out he saw Alan.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

"I came to invite, Terry, David, Amita, and Larry to dinner

with us three. That is if your not doing anything." 

"Why Thank you, Mr. Eppes," said Terry. 

"Yes, thank you, sir," said David. 

"I'll tell Amita and Larry. I got to go or I'm going to be

late. Bye." 

"See you." 

At CalSci. Charlie, Amita, and Larry were in Charlie's office, getting ready for the next day. Five hours after Charlie's lunch with the gang. Charlie told them about dinner at his house that Alan had invited them to.

"Sure, Charles. Right, Amita?" 

"Yeah, I have nothing to do." 

That night at Charlie's house. Everyone was done eating. The

food was great, nothing could beat it.

"That was good, Mr. Eppes." 

"Yeah, Dad, you did a good job."

"Actually, I had help. He wanted to learn," said Alan. 

"Charles?" 

Larry said laughing.

"Hey, I can cook too." 

Charlie yelled from in the kitchen. He was putting away the

food and dirty dishes, everyone laughed.

"Charlie, I thought you were a bad cook," said Amita. 

"Not trying to be rude, Charles, but your cooking is better

then your spelling." 

"And your spelling is better then your cooking, Lar."

"Thanks."

Everyone walked into the living room. While Amita went into

the kitchen.

"Amita, why aren't you in the living room with everyone

else?"

"I wanted to help you."

Charlie and Amita were blushing, trying not to let the other

one

know. After five minutes of cleaning dishes, they didn't

even have half of them done. They were talking too much.

"Larry said you've been having nightmares." 

Charlie stopped what he was doing.

"Yeah." 

"Are you alright?" 

He didn't want to worry her. So he lied.

"Oh, it's nothing." 

"Charles Edward Eppes, I can tell when your lying. So tell

me the truth."

He sighed, he took a seat at the table in the kitchen. Amita

took one right next to him. She put her hand on his

shoulder.

"The nightmares aren't really the problem." 

"What is?" 

"I'm waking up Don and dad in all hours of the night. Even

Don himself said when I was sleeping in CalSci that one night, him and dad got a good night's sleep." 

"I'm sure that they aren't upset with you. They're just

worried. So am I because I lov..."

Charlie's head shot straight up. Amita covered her mouth and

turned away.

"What?" 

"Nothing."

"No, what did you say? Please." 

"I love you."

She said it softly.

"I love you, too." 

"You do?" 

"Yes." 

Amita smiled. Charlie and Amita moved closer together. Their lips were almost touching. Charlie tilted his head and closed the gap between them in more ways then their lips. Closing the gap of the game they had been playing with each other. Closed the gap of unsure. They pulled apart and smiled at each other.

Later that night. Don had stayed up til 1:00 to see if Charlie was going to wake up from the nightmares. He had fallen asleep and was awoken to Alan shaking him.

"Dad." 

"Hey, it's time for breakfast."

"Did I sleep through one of his nightmares?" 

"No, he didn't have any." 

Don was totally shocked. He sat up in the chair in the

living room. Alan couldn't figure out why he was in the

living room, and not in his own room. 

"Why didn't you sleep in your room?" 

"Bed's too soft. I would have fallen asleep too easily. I

wanted to stay up for Charlie." 

Don got up and went to his brothers room. There was Charlie

asleep. He sat on the side of the bed, gently waking up

Charlie.

"Hey buddy."

"Don. What time is it?" 

"6:00." 

"I slept through the whole night?" 

"Yep." 

"No more nightmares?" 

"I guess not." 

Charlie sat up and surprised his brother by giving him a

hug.

"Now that that's over. What were you and Amita talking about

last night, when the rest of us were in the living room?"

"She said she loves me." 

"Did you tell her the truth?" 

"Yeah." 

"Charlie, I'm glad."

"I kissed her."

"About time," said Don

"Funny," said his brother with some annoyances in his voice. 

"Breakfast!" 

"Coming!"

"Charlie please remember something." 

Charlie nodded his head.

"I will always be there for you. Your my only brother, I

want to keep you safe." 

"Thanks Don."

THE END

I don't own NUMB3RS. Please review.


End file.
